TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Cambodia-based Angkor Airways will suspend its flights between Taipei and the Southeast Asian country today, as it has run into financial difficulties after the detention of a top company executive on criminal charges in Taiwan, the airline's branch office in Taiwan announced yesterday.

Alex Lou, executive director of the Taiwan branch office, has been solely in charge of sourcing funding for operations, and his detention has plunged the company into financial woes, the office said.

The announcement came in the afternoon, while its flights to Siem Reap, the location of the famous Cambodian historic site of Angkor Wat, had still taken off as scheduled in the morning.

A total of 449 passengers from Taiwan were originally scheduled to take three Angkor charter flights back home in the next four days, the company said. But the office said it has already asked the passengers' travel agencies to rearrange their clients to fly home from Phnom Penh via China Airlines or EVA Airways.

Lou has been detained following questioning by prosecutors in Taipei on May 1 as part of their investigation into an embezzlement scandal hitting the debt-ridden Fast Eastern Air Transport.The branch office said the headquarters in Cambodia respects the due process in Taiwan.

The travelers were originally scheduled to fly back to Taiwan from Siem Reap on May 10, 12 and 13.

Although it does not have a representative office in Cambodia, Taiwan's foreign ministry has appealed to Cambodia-based Taiwanese businesspeople to help the stranded tourists get rooms at local hotels, ministry spokeswoman Phoebe Yeh said late last night.

Taiwan's government will arrange for Taiwanese airlines to pick up the tourists from both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap over the next four days, with FAT sending a plane on May 13, Yeh said.

For more assistance, Taiwanese citizens can call Taiwan's representative office in Ho Chi Minh City at 002-84-903927019, the spokeswoman said.

Angkor Airways, a regional airline with three routes between Siem Reap and Japanese cities in addition to its Taipei route, operated 20-23 chartered flights between Taipei and Siem Reap every month.

Although the statement said all flights would be suspended temporarily, there was no mention of if or when the charters would resume.

According to the airline's website, its charter flight routes include ones from Taipei, Nagoya, Osaka, and Fukuoka to Siem Reap.

But its current flight schedule has only flights between Taipei and the Cambodian destination.

Debt-ridden FAT, Taiwan's oldest private carrier that has been hit hard by a deteriorating domestic aviation market, filed for bankruptcy protection with the Taipei District Court on Feb.17 and has been struggling to meet its operating obligations since.

Taipei prosecutors suspect that top-ranking managers at FAT pocketed company funds and purposely let Angkor Airways delay paying FAT the NT$700 million owed for leasing aircraft from the Taiwanese carrier.

LOS ANGELES (Map, News) - A retired Marine captain had sex with seven preteen girls while living in Cambodia, a prosecutor contended Friday.

Michael Joseph Pepe, 54, paid a prostitute to find girls between 9 and 15 and gave their impoverished families money to let the youngsters live with him near a Phnom Penh elementary school, Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Donahue told Superior Court jurors in her opening statement.

Pepe, who was extradited to Los Angeles last year, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places, a federal law aimed at people who go overseas to engage in so-called child sex tourism.

He was being held without bail and faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.

Pepe is accused of having sex with seven girls between the late fall of 2005 and his June 2006 arrest. He paid several hundred dollars to one family for access to their daughter, Donahue contended.

He supplied the girls with food and clothing and even covered some of their school tuitions but "there was a price for all of this," Donahue told jurors. "That price was sex."

Pepe drugged some before having sex with them, the prosecutor alleged.

One 11-year-old told Cambodian authorities that she woke up in a pool of blood, Donahue said.Medical examinations found the girls had injuries that could have been caused by forced intercourse, she contended.

Rope, Viagra, children's clothing and child pornography were found in a search of his home, Donahue said.

The girls will testify at the trial and "you will hear their pain," the prosecutor told jurors.

In his opening argument, Deputy Federal Public Defender Carl Gunn suggested the assaults were committed by a prostitute and her boyfriend who had access to Pepe's house.

Police have begun an investigation into whether Montagnards from Vietnam are being trafficked to the UN refugee agency in Phnom Penh, authorities said Friday.

“There is no reason that Montagnards coming from the central plateau of Vietnam arrive at the camp of [the UN High Commissioner for Refugees] in the center of Phnom Penh with no indication of support,” Ministry of Interior Khieu Sopheak said Friday. “The ministry is investigating, and if we find evidence like this, it is a human trafficking case, not a question for UNHCR.”

Cambodian law carries a 10 year prison sentence for human trafficking.

The local daily newspaper Rasmey Kampuchea carried a story Thursday in which an alleged Montagnard claimed to have been brought to Cambodia with promises of resettlement in a third country and, cheated instead, brought to UNHCR.

Toshi Kawauchi, protection officer at UNHCR told VOA Khmer he was unaware of the story, but he declined to comment on whether it constituted a threat to the organization.

“The investigation is up to the [Ministry of Information]. The police are responsible for any possible crime,” he said. “Our duty is to provide assistance to those refugees who are in need of international protection.”

Refugees from the mountains of Vietnam have been flowing into Cambodia since 2001, claiming they were escaping oppression by Vietnamese authorities. Nearly 2,000 have been admitted as refugees and settled in third countries, many to the US, angering Hanoi.

The government’s national Bird Flu Plan got an $11 million injection from donors Friday in a bid to strengthen the response to a potential outbreak over the next three years.

The Bird Flu Plan is a three-year project that combines the participation of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Committee for Disaster Management.

The plan calls for improving animal and human health and for better preparation against a potential pandemic of avian influenza, the H2N1 virus.

Ly Sovan, deputy director of the infectious diseases department of the Ministry of Health, said the government has six separate priorities for fighting the spread of the disease, and he encouraged donors—which included Japan and the World Bank—to send the pledged funds as soon as possible.

Japanese Ambassador Katsuhiro Shinohara said Cambodia played an important role in minimizing the threat of bird flu.

World Bank country director Ian Porter said the project will help the government assess and improve its national comprehensive plan.

About 100 Cambodians, from motorcycle taxi and tuk-tuk drivers, vendors and politicians, met in a public forum Friday, urging the end of graft and the passage of anti-corruption legislation.

Representatives from Funcinpec, Norodom Ranariddh Party and Human Rights parties joined drivers, vendors and others in a forum sponsored by the Cambodian Center for Human Rights.

“Sellers always suffer, because bad officials confiscate their goods and demand their money,” complained Von Pov, president of the Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association.

Motorcycle taxi driver Sem Somanthorn urged Cambodians to stop voting for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party if the anti-corruption law cannot be passed.

“If your political party wins the election, will it make an anti-corruption law?” driver Kim Sophan asked the party representatives. “And if you were to be prime minister, would you dare to step down if the anti-corruption law could not be done?”

Funcinpec parliamentarian Khieu San told those gathered at the forum that even though Cambodia does not have an anti-corruption law, Cambodian law can still punish those who commit corruption, and many such people have already been imprisoned.

The Coalition of Civil Society Against Corruption said Friday more than one million Cambodians have signed a petition to push for the approval of the anti-corruption law.

Justice Minister Ang Vong Wathana could not be reached for comment Friday.

CPP lawmaker Cheam Yiep said Friday Prime Minister Hun Sen has often pushed for the passage of the law. The CPP is able to safeguard people throughout the country and bring economic development, he added.

The Civil Society Coalition expressed great concern of political threats of the opposition and competing parties as the country heads into a general election.

The coalition, comprised of local rights and development agencies, said Thursday threats by the judicial system were “aimed particularly at non-ruling parties.”

“We are wary, because we’ve remarked that there are threats and intimidation,” said Hang Chhaya, executive director of the Khmer Institute for Democracy, a member of the coalition.

Prince Norodom Ranariddh is running a competing political party from exile, facing 18 months in prison for embezzlement if he returns, and opposition leader Sam Rainsy is facing a lawsuit of defamation and disinformation brought by Foreign Minister Hor Namhong.

Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said Thursday the cases were a question of wrongdoing, not intimidation.

To ensure a fair environment, wrongdoers must face punishment, he said.

Though the law calls for campaigning only in the month leading into Election Day, parties have already started, a democracy observer said Thursday.

“We see the ruling party campaigning and broadcasting on TV and radio, and the opposition visits directly to help people solve problems like land conflicts and so on,” said Ly Sothearayuth, a senior program officers at the National Democratic Institute, on “Hello VOA.”

With less than three months to go for the election, many voters say they are concerned with media bias. Observers say most of the media is skewed to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, and voters say they aren’t hearing enough about other parties.

Parties can buy airtime, Ly Sothearayuth said, but it’s expensive.

“The ruling party has a lot of resources, and they buy all the airtime,” he said. “Also, another question is that it depends on the station manager, whether

Though the law calls for campaigning only in the month leading into Election Day, parties have already started, a democracy observer said Thursday.

“We see the ruling party campaigning and broadcasting on TV and radio, and the opposition visits directly to help people solve problems like land conflicts and so on,” said Ly Sothearayuth, a senior program officers at the National Democratic Institute, on “Hello VOA.”

With less than three months to go for the election, many voters say they are concerned with media bias. Observers say most of the media is skewed to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, and voters say they aren’t hearing enough about other parties.

Parties can buy airtime, Ly Sothearayuth said, but it’s expensive.

“The ruling party has a lot of resources, and they buy all the airtime,” he said. “Also, another question is that it depends on the station manager, whether

Hillary Clinton has struggled hard to become the first woman in US history to be president. She has stressed her background and experience in primary races against the other Democratic hopeful, Barack Obama. Her race has inspired at least some Cambodians.

“Whoever sits at that desk in the Oval Office on Jan. 20, 2009, needs all the tools available, all the resources at our disposal, and the wisdom to know how to use them,” Clinton said recently. “I propose a new American strategy to restore our moral authority and war in Iraq and defend and protect our nation.”

Pok Nanda, of Cambodia’s Women for Prosperty, said Clinton deserves to be president. She called Clinton brave, smart and an example to women of the world. She has even worked against human trafficking in Cambodia and strengthened women’s position in politics.

“Her stance is clear, in order to improve social issues, help poor countries on education issues and the violation of the rights of women and children,” Pok Nanda said. “If she wins, I have hope for the Democrats, especially if she is elected president programs on social services for Cambodia will be highly paid attention to by the US.”

Chanly Kuch, a Cambodian-American in Maryland, said Clinton fits for president, but the question is whether Americans are ready to put a woman in the White House.

Were Clinton to humble herself more, she would be a leading candidate, Chanly Kuch said.

“There’s no doubt she’s smart,” Chanly Kuch said. “She’s been winning as a leader since school.”

Chhay Huor, from Georgia, said people were looking for Clinton to win to help restore the economy and ease restrictions on immigration that have been in place under the Republican administration.

But not all are convinced Clinton’s policies will benefit them. Ku Kim Tuy, also from Maryland, called Clinton dishonest, and said the candidate did not have enough economic experience to be president.

“If she wins, she will need more advisers, and that’s dangerous, because those advisers will work for their own will,” Ku Kim Tuy said.

Meanwhile, Cambodian politicians welcomed Clinton’s presidential bid.

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said she was “fit for the presidential posting.”

Ruling party lawmaker Cheam Yiep applauded the US exercise in democracy and said the American people “should consider giving a woman a chance.”

Hillary Clinton has struggled hard to become the first woman in US history to be president. She has stressed her background and experience in primary races against the other Democratic hopeful, Barack Obama. Her race has inspired at least some Cambodians.

“Whoever sits at that desk in the Oval Office on Jan. 20, 2009, needs all the tools available, all the resources at our disposal, and the wisdom to know how to use them,” Clinton said recently. “I propose a new American strategy to restore our moral authority and war in Iraq and defend and protect our nation.”

Pok Nanda, of Cambodia’s Women for Prosperty, said Clinton deserves to be president. She called Clinton brave, smart and an example to women of the world. She has even worked against human trafficking in Cambodia and strengthened women’s position in politics.

“Her stance is clear, in order to improve social issues, help poor countries on education issues and the violation of the rights of women and children,” Pok Nanda said. “If she wins, I have hope for the Democrats, especially if she is elected president programs on social services for Cambodia will be highly paid attention to by the US.”

Chanly Kuch, a Cambodian-American in Maryland, said Clinton fits for president, but the question is whether Americans are ready to put a woman in the White House.

Were Clinton to humble herself more, she would be a leading candidate, Chanly Kuch said.

“There’s no doubt she’s smart,” Chanly Kuch said. “She’s been winning as a leader since school.”

Chhay Huor, from Georgia, said people were looking for Clinton to win to help restore the economy and ease restrictions on immigration that have been in place under the Republican administration.

But not all are convinced Clinton’s policies will benefit them. Ku Kim Tuy, also from Maryland, called Clinton dishonest, and said the candidate did not have enough economic experience to be president.

“If she wins, she will need more advisers, and that’s dangerous, because those advisers will work for their own will,” Ku Kim Tuy said.

Meanwhile, Cambodian politicians welcomed Clinton’s presidential bid.

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said she was “fit for the presidential posting.”

Ruling party lawmaker Cheam Yiep applauded the US exercise in democracy and said the American people “should consider giving a woman a chance.”

Hillary Clinton has struggled hard to become the first woman in US history to be president. She has stressed her background and experience in primary races against the other Democratic hopeful, Barack Obama. Her race has inspired at least some Cambodians.

“Whoever sits at that desk in the Oval Office on Jan. 20, 2009, needs all the tools available, all the resources at our disposal, and the wisdom to know how to use them,” Clinton said recently. “I propose a new American strategy to restore our moral authority and war in Iraq and defend and protect our nation.”

Pok Nanda, of Cambodia’s Women for Prosperty, said Clinton deserves to be president. She called Clinton brave, smart and an example to women of the world. She has even worked against human trafficking in Cambodia and strengthened women’s position in politics.

“Her stance is clear, in order to improve social issues, help poor countries on education issues and the violation of the rights of women and children,” Pok Nanda said. “If she wins, I have hope for the Democrats, especially if she is elected president programs on social services for Cambodia will be highly paid attention to by the US.”

Chanly Kuch, a Cambodian-American in Maryland, said Clinton fits for president, but the question is whether Americans are ready to put a woman in the White House.

Were Clinton to humble herself more, she would be a leading candidate, Chanly Kuch said.

“There’s no doubt she’s smart,” Chanly Kuch said. “She’s been winning as a leader since school.”

Chhay Huor, from Georgia, said people were looking for Clinton to win to help restore the economy and ease restrictions on immigration that have been in place under the Republican administration.

But not all are convinced Clinton’s policies will benefit them. Ku Kim Tuy, also from Maryland, called Clinton dishonest, and said the candidate did not have enough economic experience to be president.

“If she wins, she will need more advisers, and that’s dangerous, because those advisers will work for their own will,” Ku Kim Tuy said.

Meanwhile, Cambodian politicians welcomed Clinton’s presidential bid.

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said she was “fit for the presidential posting.”

Ruling party lawmaker Cheam Yiep applauded the US exercise in democracy and said the American people “should consider giving a woman a chance.”

Commander-in-chief of the First Fleet of the Royal Thai Fleet, Rear Admiral Nopadol Suthammasapa gives an official send-off to the HTMS Sukhothai’s captain and crew.

Patcharapol Panrak

The Royal Thai Navy has sent the HTMS Sukhothai to the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville as part of the cordial military relations that exist between the two countries, and to support stability on the Thai-Cambodian border.

Under the direction of Vice Admiral Chaiwat Pukkarat, commander-in-chief of the First Fleet of the Royal Thai Fleet, Rear Admiral Nopadol Suthammasapa gave an official send-off to the vessel and its crew on April 28 at Laem Thian Port at Sattahip Naval Base.

Rear Admiral Chumpol Wongwaekin, chief of staff at the First Fleet was commander of the ship heading for Sihanoukville.

Rear Admiral Nopadol said that more than 100 military personnel are on board the ship, which will anchor at the Cambodian commercial port to undergo training and a familiarization program.

Rear Admiral Chumpol said that the responsibility of the First Fleet is to protect Thailand’s interests from Trat to Chumporn.

The mission to Cambodia is to help cement friendly relations between the two countries, and to undergo training for such possibilities as a disaster at sea, and for cross-border issues.

“Phnom Penh: On 8 May, the National Assembly of the Kingdom of Cambodia was called into session again after a short vacation, to discuss and adopt the draft law on an agreement that the royal government of the Kingdom of Cambodia guarantees payment to the Power Synergy Company, which plans to build a coal-fueled power plant in Sihanoukville.

“The Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian Mr. Son Chhay stated that the construction of a coal-fueled power plant in Sihanoukville will affect the environment at the seaside a lot. Therefore, appropriate technology is required in order that it will not affect tourism.

“Mr. Yim Sovann, who is also an opposition party parliamentarian, said that he is very pleased with the creation of this law on electricity to serve the citizens’ interest. However previous plans to buy electricity form neighboring countries, such as from Thailand and Vietnam, has not yet led to a decrease in the fees, which in some places range between Riel 850 [approx. US$0.20] to Riel 4,000 [approx. US$1].

“He continued that the contract between this company and the royal government is not clear in this respect, which states a decreased fee of US$0.064 (or Riel 250). Mr. Yim Sovann stressed that if the US$0.064 or Riel 250 is the fee that the citizens have to pay, it is satisfactory information, but if it is the fee that the state has to pay, then the electricity fee is still high.“The Funcinpec parliamentarian Mr. Monh Saphan also said that he wants to see the contract first, because he does not yet know how much responsibility the government takes on.Moreover, he wants the power plant to use many Khmer laborers so that Khmer citizens get jobs.

“The Cambodian People’s Party parliamentarian Mr. Cheam Yeap said that electricity is very necessary, we cannot do without it. In ancient times, people could use candles or oil lamps, but in our era of modern technology, people cannot work with a lack of electricity.“He went on to say that on behalf of the Finance Committee of the National Assembly, he has checked carefully with the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Industry to know the advantages of signing this contract between the royal government and foreigners; we cannot act carelessly. The company that builds the coal-fueled power plant is a joint Khmer-Malaysian company.

“In a speech it was said that to implement a policy to encourage national economic development and the citizens’ poverty alleviation, the royal government tries to develop in all sectors, where also the development of electricity is important. The royal government has authorized continuous related developments, such as the Kirirom Hydro-Electric Plant I, the Kirirom Hydro-Electric Plant II, the Kamchay Hydro-Electric Plant, the Stung Atay Hydro-Electric Plan, and another project is being negotiated. Through such developments, the price of electricity will be reduced to US$0.064 or Riel 250 per kilowatt/hour in 2010 and 2012.”

Opening statements are expected today in the downtown Los Angeles trial of a jailed ex-Marine Corps captain accused of raping girls as young as 9 years old while living in Cambodia.

Michael Joseph Pepe, 54, is charged with seven counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places. The federal law that Pepe allegedly broke allows the prosecution of those accused of engaging in child sex tourism.

Pepe faces up to 30 years' imprisonment if he's convicted. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts.Prosecutors allege that Pepe raped seven preteen girls at his Phnom Penh home beginning in the late fall of 2005 and ending shortly before his June 2006 arrest by the Cambodian National Police. In February 2007, he was extradited to Los Angeles -- the last U.S. city he spent time in before returning to Cambodia after visiting his daughter.

The alleged victims are expected to testify at his trial.

Pepe, who moved to Cambodia in 2003 and married there, allegedly paid a prostitute a finder's fee to bring him young victims, typically between the ages of nine and 15.

He also paid the young girls' families a fee and monthly stipend for access to the girls for sexual gratification, prosecutors said. In one case, the prostitute admitted receiving $10 for finding a young girl, whose family received $300, prosecutors said.

Agents who searched Pepe's home found rope and cloth strips used to restrain the victims, prosecutors said. They also found mind-altering drugs, condoms, Viagra, children's clothes and newspaper articles about pedophiles, prosecutors said.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is alarmed by reports of Cambodian authorities attacking and detaining a newspaper journalist in Kampong Seila commune, Cambodia, on April 29.

According to the Cambodian Association for the Protection of Journalists (CAPJ), Meas Asi, a reporter for Panhavorn Khmer (Khmer Intellectual), based in Koh Kong province, was allegedly stopped by police and beaten unconscious before being taken to Koh Kong prison.

Asi was on his way to cover a protest by members of Chhouk village to draw Prime Minister Hun Sen’s attention to land ownership issues when the incident occurred.

CAPJ reported that the incident may be related to Asi’s investigation into a land dispute between 75 families in Chhouk and a wealthy land owner.

Asi’s wife, Sles Mass, has not been allowed to visit her detained husband, CAPJ said.

“For press freedom to prevail in any country, journalists must be able to investigate and report on issues in the public interest without fear of intimidation or violent retaliation,” said IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park.

“Cambodia’s Government must release Asi immediately and instigate an independent and full investigation into the actions of its security forces in this attack.”

The IFJ supports CAPJ in its appeal to the authorities to release Asi or provide him with access to legal representation and family members, as well as a clear explanation of the reason for his detention.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday around 500 Taiwanese tourists were stuck in Cambodia as Angkor Airways Corp, a Phnom Penh based airline, had temporarily suspended services to Taiwan.

The ministry said arrangements had been made put the tourists up in local hotels with the help of Cambodia-based Taiwanese businessmen.

The Civil Aeronautics Administration and the Tourism Bureau will cooperate with Taiwanese airlines to bring the tourists home within the next two or three days.

The news came after the Taipei office of Angkor Airways made an announcement yesterday afternoon that the airline had encountered financial problems. As a result, Angkor Airways said it would temporarily suspend Angkor-Taipei flights, effective today [Saturday].

SIEM REAP, Cambodia, May 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Journeys Within Tour Company today announced it is partnering with Journeys Within Our Community (JWOC), a non-profit organization working in Southeast Asia, to raise funds and provide disaster relief to Myanmar in the wake of the devastation of the recent cyclone. With an estimated 22,000 people dead, 41,000 missing, millions homeless, widespread flooding and destruction of homes, the race is on to prevent further death and the spread of disease in Yangon and southern Myanmar. Critical resources such as food, clean water, basic medicines and mosquito nets are desperately needed as people seek refuge from the floods. JWOC and Journeys Within Tour Company are working with the Journeys Within Tour Company Yangon office to pinpoint specific needs. While many Aid organizations struggle to get people into the country Journeys Within is able to utilize those staff already there. Additional JWOC and Journeys Within staff will be arriving in Myanmar to assess firsthand the most critical needs and use the resources to meet them. Donations can be made at http://www.journeyswithinourcommunity.org/ and 100 percent of the donations will go toward relief efforts.

"Our hearts go out to the kind and beautiful people we know throughout the country. Our staff, guides and drivers are all in our thoughts as we work to bring aid to the region. JWOC is based on the mission, see a problem, solve a problem, and since we we are on the ground with a Journeys Within Tour Company office in Yangon, Myanmar, we are in the perfect position to quickly assess the most urgent needs and provide direct aid and resources to the victims of this devastating disaster," said Brandon Ross, president of Journeys Within. "Our Yangon office and JWOC will partner to raise funds and use 100 percent of those donations to help the people of Myanmar. We know from experience that we can change lives and that is our goal. We are working with people on the ground that know where help is needed and we hope this targeted approach will best utilize the funds and resources we have. Through worldwide donations, we can help prevent more death and destruction and help the people of Myanmar recover and re-build their lives."

Donations are being accepted immediately at http://www.journeyswithinourcommunity.org/, all of which (as in 100%) will go to helping those in need on the ground in Burma.

About Journeys Within Tour Company

Journeys Within offers customized trips to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Burma and Cambodia. Brandon and Andrea Ross live in Cambodia and travel extensively, keeping in touch with all their guides and making sure all accommodations are up to par. By being based in Southeast Asia, Andrea and Brandon truly know the many destinations and can assure the quality of each tour, setting them apart from the competition.Journeys Within Tour Company and Bed & Breakfast can be found at http://www.journeys-within.com/ or you can contact Andrea and Brandon Ross at andrea@journeys-within.com or toll free at 1(877) 454-3672.